Saturday, September 1, 2012

Labour Day

As difficult as this is, with Labour Day weekend upon us, it is time to admit that our brief summer is drawing to a close.  Nowhere is it more evident than in my poor, overgrown, neglected garden. A spring of relentless rain, an August of relentless sun and a cranky back (mine) have all doomed my garden to a scraggly tangle of  foliage. Close inspection yesterday turned up a few gems, though.

Labour day garden 2012
Alstroemeria seed pods

Labour day garden 2012
Japanese Anemone have spread like crazy this summer

Labour day garden 2012

Labour day garden 2012
The Sedum Autumn Joy is about to burst

At this point, I think the best approach is to wait another month and do a massive clean up of spent blooms and stalks. Fall is shaping up to be extremely busy. My parents are coming for an extended visit at the end of September which has prompted a room-swap in our house. My sewing room for D's bedroom. At first I was all excited to shovel out my lair, but now I'm not so sure. It's going to be a massive undertaking and I definitely see some de-stashing in my future!

But first, I've got a baby quilt commission that needs doing. To the cutting matt I go!

P.S. Anyone looking for a long-weekend read might enjoy The Best Laid Plans by Canadian author Terry Fallis. B and I just finished it; not only is it extremely well-written, we both found it highly entertaining and very funny. It won Canada Reads last year as well as the Stephen Leacock award for humour. In no other book will you find an insiders perspective on the Canadian House of Commons AND hovercraft. Trust me.

10 comments:

Leanne said...

I hope you enjoy the long weekend and the ease into fall. Your garden is lovely.

Shari said...

If you're nearly autumn then I am nearly spring - yay! Lovely late bloomers there.The seed pods have a great shape.

karen @ badlandsquilts said...

Summer goes by just too fast. Sounds like a VERY interesting book...I'll have to check it out, that is about the diversity of the questions my 6yo is constant with so it should be right up my alley.

Monika Kinner-Whalen (MySweetPrairie) said...

Oh dear - same here! rain - heat - back troubles. What's up with that? Thanks for sharing the pretty photos ; )

Here comes fall! Enjoy all your stitching.
Monika in Saskatoon

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

If you could just pop over to tell me what on Earth is (over)growing in my garden, it would be much appreciated!

PinkGranny said...

What a busy time for you all. I can't imagine shoveling my room out either. Yikes! Your garden is in the same shape as mine. However the vegetable garden, off to a slow start is yielding grape tomatoes and zucchini and acorn squash galore...prompting a lot of baking for that blessed zucchini!!!!

Have a great start on the baby quilt.

Aliceart said...

My garden's the same way. We'll wait until it's cooler to straighten up.

Unknown said...

Gonna have to check out that book. Sounds like a good one.

I hear ya about the garden. It was all going so well up until about 5 weeks ago when the rain just up and stopped and my gardening mojo flew out the window. Now the garden is brown and dead, and I just want to close the curtains and pretend it doesn't exist... :(

ashley said...

Great photos of the beach! I love the west coast beaches!

Kristen said...

I envy the green, but not the fall cleanup! ;)